


The Search

by DestinedToCry



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Castiel and Feelings, Castiel/Dean Winchester Feels, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Michael Possessing Dean Winchester, Spoilers, cas/dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 19:18:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15031484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DestinedToCry/pseuds/DestinedToCry
Summary: **SPOILERS** - Heavy season 13 spoilers ahead!Seriously, do not read any further if you're not caught up. You have been warned!Castiel is on the hunt. Michael has Dean, Cas must get him back!





	The Search

**Author's Note:**

> *Warnings* This is my first attempt at a fic containing angst and violence. Things will be tough and they will be violent/bloody. Not in this first part, but there is a character having a panic attack. 
> 
> This has not been beta'd, no formatting to speak of, there may be errors... 
> 
> Comments very much appreciated.

The echo was growing faint. Castiel let out a sigh. He was getting closer but Michael had given him the slip again. 'I will find you, brother.' A flutter is heard as Cas leaves, disappointed again.   
Cas growls his order of 'coffee, black' to the waitress, and slinks into a booth. Needing time to connect to Michael's grace again, he brought himself to a diner he'd once met the boys at. They were his family now - them and Jack - and he would not, could not, let Michael keep Dean. Sam and Jack, Mary, Bobby, everyone! They were all counting on him. It was Sam that had finally gotten through to Cas when this all started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(The Night Lucifer Died...)

"I'll see you soon, okay?"

Dean had said those words no more than 10 minutes ago and yet it felt like hours to Castiel. He'd felt the snap when Michael had taken over, had felt his connection to Dean vanish, and he was finished. He knew Michael wouldn't hold to the deal but Dean had begged him to understand and he just didn't have it in him to fight any more. Sam and Jack had called, Lucifer was dead, Dean killed him. Michael had taken off before Sam could react and they had no idea where he'd gone.  
They got back to the bunker not long after that but Cas still hadn't moved. Mary and Bobby had tried to talk to him but they just weren't getting through. He could hear them all talking but he just couldn't make himself care. Sam sat down next to the angel and gave him a nudge.  
"We're gonna get him back, you know?" he said, with a sad, lopsided smile. "Dean's a stubborn son of a bitch, d'you really think he'll make this easy for Michael? Come on, Cas. If you give up now then Michael wins." Nothing. Not so much as a blink. "Okay, you don't want to talk then you can listen. But not here. Will you come with me? Please?" he stood up, looking down at his broken friend.  
"What does it matter?" Cas finally croaked out. "Here, not here, why does any of it matter, Sam? It's over."  
"Just- Will you just come with me please?" Sam blinked and they were in his room.  
"Will this do?" Cas growled at him.  
"Sure, thanks. Okay, I need you to really hear me on this. Really listen and don't interrupt."  
"Whatever, Sam." Cas muttered, waving his hand at him.  
Sam let out a sigh. Angels were hard work!  
"I know what Dean means to you. I know how you feel about him - how you really feel about him, I mean - have done for a while now, figured it wasn't my place to say anything. I mean, you never said anything, and neither did Dean, so what right did I have to say something to either of you, y'know?" He took a breath, the angel looked confused but remained silent so he continued. "I'm not saying what it all means, maybe you don't even know yourself. All I'm saying is that, with the bond you two have, you might be the only one who has a shot at saving him. Won't you at least try?" Sam pleaded, Cas didn't need to look at him - he could feel the desperation beating off of Sam from across the room.  
"I don't- Our bond? Sam, I'm not su-"  
"Don't, Cas. Don't lie, not now, this is too important! We don't have time to waste stumbling through half-truths. The longer we wait, the further away Michael gets." Sam turned away, his frustration building. "I'm not asking for some big confession, okay? Don't need one. I know you love my brother and, being honest, I think he probably loves you back." The angel's head whipped up at that and he stared at Sam's back.  
"No, Sam. You're wrong. He cares for me, of course, as he does for all of us but not beyond that. Not like... Not like I do for him." Cas let out a huff of breath. He'd never admitted his feelings aloud before. A strange lump had formed in his throat and he found he couldn't quite catch his breath. "Sam, I-" he choked out, panic setting in. Sam turned back to his friend and reacted instantly.  
"Woah, okay! Cas? Here, sit down." he pulled the freaked-out angel to his bed. "Look at me, Cas. Breathe with me. In... And out... Come on, dude, you're having a panic attack, you need to slow your breathing. I don't know if angels can faint but I'm not looking to find out. Just breathe with me. You're gonna be fine." he exaggerated breathing in and out slowly, keeping his eyes locked on Cas'.   
It took a couple of minutes but he finally felt Cas relax a little and his breathing calm down. "That's it, buddy. You got it. Feeling better?"  
"Yes. My apologies." Cas grumbled, feeling ashamed that he'd fallen apart.  
"Hey, it's been a tough night. What set it off?"  
"I...I've never...I've never told anyone how I, um, feel...about Dean. Not really. I think Gabriel knew but..." His heart burned at the reminder of his brother. They had lost so much.  
"Stay with me, Cas! We're going to make Michael pay for everything he's done, all that he's caused, but first we need you to find him."  
"I don't think I can. The link I have to Dean, it's not there now. It disappeared when Michael took control. I lost it, Sam. I lost him."  
"We'll find him. We have to. But he needs you now, Cas. Michael hasn't killed Dean, so that connection, that link, is still there, somewhere. You can find him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beginning the search was tough going. With Jack's power diminished by Lucifer's attack, Cas was on his own - more or less - relying on his tenuous link to Dean to guide him. It took a few weeks before they got the first glimpse of where Michael was. Cas wasn't sure if it was the link showing him or if Dean had somehow managed to gain a moment of control - the flash had been very strong but over in an instant. They were in a town about 200 miles away but by the time Cas got there he realised Michael was long gone. The flash must have been delayed in getting through to him.  
As he sat there thinking about his search, he became aware that his phone was ringing.  
"Sam. I missed him again." his tone full of apology.   
"No, you haven't, Cas. Jack saw him. He's still there but he's cloaking his grace. Jack doesn't know how he's doing it but he's sure that Michael is still there." Cas zoned him out, took a deep breath and sent out everything he had to try and fight through Michael's cloak. He gasped as he felt the muted grace touch his senses. "Cas?? Cas, are you there?"   
"I've found him. He's close. I have to go." He hung up and put his phone away. 

'I've got you now, brother.'


End file.
